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This gluten free iced lemon pound cake is a moist and tender, sweet pound cake is just like those thick slices in the glass coffee shop case.
Table of Contents
- What makes this gluten free lemon pound cake recipe special
- Do I need a stand mixer to make this gf lemon pound cake recipe?
- Does Starbucks have gluten free desserts?
- Gluten free lemon pound cake: Ingredients and substitutions
- Gluten free iced lemon pound cake recipe, step by step
- Iced Gluten Free Lemon Pound Cake Recipe
What makes this gluten free lemon pound cake recipe special
A simple loaf cake made in the traditional style, this pound cake gets its lift from eggs and eggs alone. No baking powder and no baking soda.
In the past, I've made this recipe with True Lemon crystals, which are truly delicious, but they can also be hard to find for some. This time, the bright lemon flavor comes exclusively from lemons themselves, both the juice and the zest.
I even added some lemon zest to the glaze, which is by far the sweetest part of the pound cake—especially since I reduced the sugar from 1 1/2 cups to 1 cup. The lemon flavor in this pound cake is intense.
What really sets this pound cake apart is the combination of butter and cream cheese in the batter. A traditional pound cake, delicious in its own right, has only butter, sugar, eggs and flour. In fact, it's so-named for beginning with one pound of each ingredient.
Do I need a stand mixer to make this gf lemon pound cake recipe?
No, you don't need a stand mixer. If you have one, it makes quick work of creaming together the butter and cream cheese, and then the granulated sugar.
If you don't have a stand mixer, you can use a hand mixer with the regular beater attachments. Use a large bowl, larger than you really need, so the ingredients don't escape during beating.
If you don't have a hand mixer, use elbow grease. You'll need to cream together the butter and cream cheese until it's light and fluffy. This is a dense recipe (like a true pound cake, unlike a gluten free lemon cake, which has a much more airy crumb, is meant to be), but you do need some air in the batter.
Try using a very large whisk, turn the bowl on its side, and lean against the counter heavily. Holding the bowl with your nondominant hand, whisk vigorously until the ingredients begin to get lighter in color. Proceed with the recipe.
Does Starbucks have gluten free desserts?
Generally, no. And it's a shame because, although their coffee ☕️ just tastes burnt to me, their pastries, cookies and cakes are simply spot-on.
When you're gluten free, you can't have their best treats, and that's just not right. Between their petite vanilla scones, asiago bagels, chocolate cinnamon pound cake, and vanilla almond biscotti, we're really missing out.
Over the years, they have introduced a few gluten free treats, only to pull them right off the menu. If I'm being generous, I'll admit that they probably just didn't sell well enough. But still.
Now all they seem to have are little egg bites. It's just a heartbreak when the other kids are getting a scone or bagel, and your gluten free kid is getting … an egg bite. At least there's something?
Gluten free lemon pound cake: Ingredients and substitutions
I'm going to discuss some other allergens in this recipe, but I want to say up front that the news isn't good. Here are the details.
Can you make this into a gluten free dairy free lemon pound cake?
You can replace the butter in pound cake with vegan butter (I love Miyoko's Kitchen and Melt brands). But I just don't know how you can effectively replace cream cheese with a nondairy alternative.
I have never tasted a nondairy cream cheese that has tasted anything like cream cheese. Some people love Kite Hill brand. So far, I am not one of those people.
Can you make this into a gluten free egg free lemon pound cake?
Since there is no baking powder or baking soda in this recipe, all the rise comes from eggs. In fact, there are 4 whole eggs in this recipe.
I do not suggest trying to make this recipe with any sort of egg replacer. There are just too many eggs, and they're too important.
I will continue to work on a recipe for vegan gluten free pound cake and vegan gluten free cheesecake. I will work until I can work no more—or I develop a great recipe.
About the cornstarch in this gf lemon pound cake, and how to replace it
If you are using a higher starch blend, like Cup4Cup, just replace all the cornstarch in the recipe with more Cup4Cup.
If you can't have corn, you can easily replace the cornstarch in this recipe with arrowroot or potato starch.
Gluten free iced lemon pound cake recipe, step by step
Gluten Free Lemon Pound Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For the pound cake
- 1 ¼ cups (175 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend, (I used Better Batter; please click through for details)
- ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum, omit if your blend already contains it
- ¼ cup (36 g) cornstarch , (or try arrowroot or potato starch)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- 12 tablespoons (168 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 4 (200 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs, at room temperature, beaten
- 2 tablespoons (1 fluid ounce) freshly squeezed lemon juice
For the glaze
- 1 ½ cups (173 g) 173 g confectioner’s sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon (½ fluid ounce) freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more as necessary
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F. Grease a loaf pan that is no more than 9-inches by 5-inches, and set it aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the flour, xanthan gum, cornstarch, salt and about 3/4 of the lemon zest, and whisk to combine well, working to break up any clumps of lemon zest. Set the bowl aside.
Make the pound cake batter.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl with a hand mixer), place the butter and cream cheese and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes).
- Add the granulated sugar and mix to combine. Add the eggs and lemon juice, mixing well after each addition until the mixture is smooth.
- Add the flour mixture in 3 parts, beating well to combine after each addition. The batter will be smooth and thick, but relatively light.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan, and smooth the top with a wet spatula.
Bake the pound cake.
- Place the loaf pan in the center of the preheated oven and bake until a tester inserted in the center of the pound cake comes out clean (about 50 minutes).
- If the loaf begins to brown too much, cover it tightly with a piece of aluminum foil.
- Remove the pound cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the glaze & assemble the cake.
- Once the pound cake is nearly cool, make the glaze. In a small bowl, place the confectioner’s sugar, salt, and the remaining lemon zest, and whisk to combine and to break up any lumps in the confectioner’s sugar or the lemon zest.
- Add the lemon juice, 1 teaspoon at a time, and mix well. Continue to add lemon juice by the teaspoon, stirring in between additions, until the glaze is thickly pourable.
- Pour the glaze over the cooled pound cake, and allow to set at room temperature.
- Slice and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
OHMYGOODNESS! I gasped when I saw this recipe. I am totally, 100%, madly, deeply in LOVE with anything LEMON!!! And add poundcake into the mix, and I swoon, simply swoon, I tell ya. I cannot wait to make this.
And, let me tell you on a side note, I’m so glad you don’t put all those distracting calories and fat grams and stuff with your recipes, because if you had them, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to pretend that eating a huge piece of the lemon poundcake counts as a “serving of fruit”, cause it totally counts as a serving of fruit, right?
OMG… I was just looking at the lemon cake at Starbuck’s the other day. (I have a lemon cake and icing weakness) Over in England, they’re in the dog-house for not paying taxes into the British economy. Just making money hand over fist. The only time I ever get a cup of their fancy shmancy coffee is when I’m at the airport! Can’t wait to try this recipe. Well, can’t wait to EAT some of it anyway. :o) Thank you, Nicole!
It is National Pound Cake Day, or at least it is according to my local Whole Foods. This is perfect for my lemon loaf loving celiac hubby! Will be attempting to make this today. Does your Starbucks not carry the Kind Bars any more? Ours thankfully still carry Kind bars as well as nuts. Not exactly a pastry, but my husband is thankful for anything to munch in an emergency.
It’s National Pound Cake Day?!?! How did that not make it onto my calendar this year?
I would like to state for the record that I had absolutely zero idea that it was National Pound Cake Day when I posted this recipe! I am simply not that, well, together. ;)
xoxo Nicole
yummy. I feel sad when I go to starbuck’s and can’t eat any of the stuff there anymore… I’m making this and freezing individual portions! you’re the best! :)
This sounds heavenly! I can’t wait to make this. I have a silly question; when you turn up the oven for the final time, you put in parenthesis ‘about an hour’. Is that a total of an hour including the previous 50 minutes or an additional hour?
An additional hour, April. It is meant to be read literally!
xoxo Nicole
What can I use in lieu of the true lemon
I haven’t tested this recipe with any substitutions, Steffie. Feel free to experiment.
Question…. I prefer to not use gluten free flour blend, I like to mix my own. What mixture would you recommend for this particular recipe? Currently I have coconut, blanched almond and garbanzo bean flour on hand. Would and combination of those three work for this recipe? Also, what is 3 packets (0.24 g) True Lemon lemon crystallized lemons…. I have never heard of this?
No, you cannot make an all purpose gluten free flour blend with the flours you have. Please see the link in the recipe for a post about flour blends.
True Lemon is crystallized lemons, available in packets in larger grocery stores.
Nicole
Bummer….. I stay away from the rice/potato/starch flours for personal reasons.
I went searching for pound cake recipes with almond and coconut flour…..easily found one at yourlighterside.com…don’t use the spices and add lots of lemon zest/crystallized lemon instead. Perhaps a little lemon juice instead of some of the applesauce, too. I’m sure there are others out there. Just Google!!
Could I substitute anything for the True Lemon crystals? Thank you.
Could I substitute anything for the True Lemon crystals? Thank you.
I haven’t tested this recipe with any substitutions. Feel free to experiment.
Oh goodness! I was going to make your chunky apple muffins this morning but now it will have to be this scrumptious lemon pound cake. Excuse me while I wipe up the drool…..
Love your pragmatism, Rebecca!
xoxo Nicole